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February 8, 2023

A Hasid in Medieval Garb: Piety and Popular Religion in Ashkenaz and Beyond

Rachel Furst

Rachel Furst

Rachel Furst is a post-doctoral fellow at the Freie Universitaet Berlin, having completed her PhD in Medieval Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  She received a BA in Medieval Studies from Barnard College and an MA in Jewish History from Hebrew University and is a graduate of the Advanced Talmud Institute at Matan. Rachel teaches Jewish history, Jewish law, and rabbinic literature at institutions in Israel and abroad.

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Sefer Hasidim, a thirteenth-century book of exegesis, halakhah, narrative vignettes, and moral advice has fascinated and mystified generations of readers. Although the work is vivid in its depiction of medieval life, it is unclear whether it represents a pietistic society that actually existed or simply the aspirations of a small, elite group of ascetics. In this course, we will examine this classic text with particular attention to its definitions of pious behavior and devout belief, as well as its prescriptions for shaping a virtuous society.

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Session 2

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Session 3

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Session 4

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Session 5

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Session 6

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Session 7

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Session 8

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